A side airbag may be used to help protect a vehicle occupant during an oblique impact of a vehicle. However, the side airbag may exert a significant force against the occupant during an impact. There is a need to provide an airbag that provides area-specific impact stiffnesses with greater stiffness in an area of the airbag aligned with a more impact resistant area of the human body and less stiffness in an area of the airbag aligned with a less impact resistant area of the human body, and reducing a reactive force in that area.